Shifting device for type-writers.



ii' ,i

To all whom it may concern:`

HENRI Tarma. Jn., or sAN nnnnmmnvo, CALIFORNIA. l

saremo DEVICE ron. TYPEWRITERS.

vSpec-itcaton of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 23, 1910,

i Application led November 2, 1908. Serial No. 460,760.

Be it knownthat I, HENRI Tanni, Jr., a

` citizen of the United States, and residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State. of California, have 1n vented a new and useful Shifting Devicefor'Type -lVritei-s, of 'which the following is a specification. f

` This invention relates to a deviceadapted particularly for use on typewriters of the lshift-key class, in wluch each type bar is equipped with a plnralitf.r 'of type" and it is necessary at times to operate a shift key 1n l 'addition tothe regular key to produce a 15 capital letter or other character which would not be produ ccd' by simply operating the key llever associated with that type bar.

One ol'ijection heretofore made to typey writers of the shift-key class isthat for capital letters and certa in charaeters :in extra key must be `pressed in addition to the regu- -lar. key and such extra operation takes time and sometimes i requires the hand of the operator to travel unnecessarily, which is overcome by the present invention.

In operating under what is known as the touch system it is important that the hands remain in substantially one position and for such method the present invention is well adapted, the object of the present invention being to enable the shift key to be operated by the knee of the operator, thas leaving the hands free for operating the type keys. .A

' The invention is also adapted for operating a tabulator key, and in thisl use 1t obviously is not limited to shift 1key machines. Referrin to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typewriter showing the device applied thereto, a portieri of the typewriter being broken away to better reveal the device. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device showing a portion of the typewriter frame. Fig. 3 is a sectionvon the line aesw3 tion.

-Fig 1. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of a portion of the device showing a slight modificathe type key 'l' maybe a capital let-ter, the

type 6 beingbrought to printing position on .the platen as the type, ar 4 is swungup- 'wardly when the segment 5 is in normal position, and the type 4 the segment 5 the proper distance and then are operated by any of thewell known mechanxsms, not necessary to be shown or described being brought to jthe proper printing point by shifting nl,

v swinging the type bar 4. The type bars 4 y in detail, and the segment 5 ma be shifted in any well known manner, as or example, the Vlinkage connected with the shift key V lever 9.

10 designates the regular key levers. Upon depressing the shift key leverf'9 the segment 5 is lifted so that when the regular key lever is struck a capitalletter or other character will be printed instead of the regular small letter or other character,.which normally printedby a type bar 10, without f using the shift key 9.

All of the parts above described are well known in the art.

The; invention comprises a lever 11 pivoted to a clamp 13 which preferably consists of two plates 1t and 15 which grip opposite sides of the frame bar 2, and are held in close detachable engagement therewith by two thumb'screws 16. The clamp 13 is so constructed that it is adapted to be applied to various makes of typewriters and 1n addition to being easily attached or detached, is readily adjustable to various thicknesses of frame bars 2.

The inner end of lever 1l is engaged by 4a hook 17 having a. threaded shank 18 which is screwed into a threaded socket 19 formed on a hook :20, the latter being hooked over theshift. key lever 9. The two hooks .20 and 17 form a link connecting the lever 11 with shift key lever 9 which may be elon-A member 22, the end of each having a loop' 23 through which the other member passes, thumb screws 24 being provided for clampying the members in the desired position.

The lower end of the member 22 is provided with a curved cross piece Qwhieh 1s adapted tube engaged by theknee of the. operator to tilt the lever 11 ,and operate the shift key lever 9. The members 21 and k'22 may 1`4e readily adjusted to suit the distance between the kneel of the operator and the lever 11.

" Another form of the clamp is shown in f Fig. l whiclreonsists of a bar 2G to which the lever il iS pivotetl, there being a {latsprzug .27 secured to theliar 26 and adapted to grip the opposite side of the frame har inasmuch asthe pressure against bar lo' 1s ul'nvarrlly, this device readily stays in place. 1t shouhl be understood that, l (lo noty limit myself to the particular' fornr of clamp shown therein. nor to the precise'details of construction and the design of the other l 'parts of the device.

' lf the (le-vice is to operate a taliulating hey the hook l? will oe engaged therewith 1nstead of lever` 9.

l. lu combination.l a clamp adapted to be adjuat'ahlv attached to a typewriter frame, a horizontal lever pivoted intermediate its ends to said clamp to Swing ina vertical plane, means for letachahly con- 'necting one cnil of said lever with the shift lcev lever of the tv iewriter :i vertical lonkmoz-'ement of the operators knee.

Q. In erpn'ibiuaien, a clamp adjustalily' attached to a typewriter frame, a substantially horizontal lever pivoted Intermediate lts endg: ie-said clamp, an aclgustable rigid connection pivotally attached to one end of said lever for detuehably connecting said lever tov the shiftkeg of a typewriter, a vertically movable. bar pivotally connected to the other end of said lever and depending therefrom, said bar being longitudinally` adjustable and free to swing back and fort-l1,

' and a cross piece on the vertically movable bar having a concave lower face for engagement with the linee of the operator.

In combination, a typewriter frame, a shiftkey, and means for operating said shift key comprisingr na Substantially horizontal l l r l l Vl l.

" ivoterl o )eratmg' lever mounted to swinfY in a vertical plane, u vertical bar pivoted at .its upperV cnil of the horizontal lever and hanging lown therefrom and capable of freely swinging laterally without moving .ie horizontal lever, but. movable longitudin'alliiY in :i vertical direction to I'orlc the limizontal lwer und aciuate the shift key, und

u :grose pier-.e on the loxwr nml of said vertiea. bar for receiving upward pressure 'of the linee of the operator iov impart'. vertical marin Timm, Jn;

l). ll'. lloosoN.

60- lfmritnflinal nmvrutent lo the vert-leal hul'. 

